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Lecture I - Climate
Contents:
radiation
absorption
absorption
soil
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
reflection
absorption
water
reflection
A2
H2
A1
B1 = B2
A1 < A2 (more energy per unit area)
H1 < H2 (more energy hits the surface)
B2
H1
B1
Interesting points:
This is why is hotter at noon
This is why south facing hills are warmer
than north facing hills (northern
hemisphere)
Text
Interesting points:
In theory every place on earth gets the same amount of light
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
4C
1 km
10C /km
20C
Rain shadow
6C /km
10C /km
10C
14C
10C /km
24C
Interesting points:
coriolis effect deflect the trajectories
how to navigate in these patterns
winds generate major currents
Interesting points:
the trades push water west at the equator
the westerlies push water east
clockwise movement in the north hemisphere and counter clockwise in the south
warm waters bath east continental margins
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Precipitation patterns
If we combine wind, temperature and currents we can
understand global distribution of rainfall:
warm air can hold more water.
As it cools it reaches dew point and saturation occurs
further cooling produces condensation and formation of
clouds
heavy clouds fall
We observe:
in the tropics warm, moist air rises and rains happens at low
and medium heights
rainy seasons in the tropics usually happen at the equinox
tropical grass lands in Kenya (at the equator but at medium
height) get two wet seasons, areas around the tropic of
cancer in mexico get one rainy season during the summer
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Precipitation patterns
We observe (continues):
the horse latitudes (30 degrees) are dry because as the cool
dry air descends it gets warmer and can hold more water
that comes from the soil. There we found the Mojave,
Sonora, Sahara and Chihuahua
The regions (belts) around horse latitudes exhibit rainy mild
winters and dry cool summers.
Precipitation patterns
We observe (continues):
the horse latitudes (30 degrees) are dry because as the cool
dry air descends it gets warmer and can hold more water
that comes from the soil. There we found the Mojave,
Sonora, Sahara and Chihuahua
The regions (belts) around horse latitudes exhibit rainy mild
winters and dry cool summers.
winter
cool water
rel. to soil
westerlies
warm water
rel. to soil
westerlies